Since January 8, 2026, the Iranian regime has maintained one of the most comprehensive internet shutdowns in human history, cutting off 92 million citizens from the global web. This “digital iron curtain” was designed to prevent the coordination of protests and to conceal the extent of the government’s lethal crackdown. The Iranian government is bracing for a strike that will likely begin with a cyber-offensive aimed at shattering this blackout and re-enabling civilian communication.
Security forces have used the cover of the blackout to carry out what activists describe as massacres in provinces across the country. The lack of connectivity has hampered human rights organizations’ ability to verify the true death toll, which some fear could be as high as 20,000. The Iranian government is bracing for an attack that uses advanced US technology to provide satellite-based internet to the masses, a move that would immediately reignite the “avalanche” of protests.
The business community has warned that the economy is bleeding out, as modern trade and finance are impossible without the internet. Despite these warnings, the regime persists with the shutdown, treating unrestricted access as a “governmental privilege” reserved for loyalists. The Iranian government is bracing for a strike that will target the telecommunications infrastructure used by the IRGC to maintain its internal “National Information Network” while cutting off the rest of the world.
Ali Larijani and other senior officials have used state-sanctioned internet to post propaganda, claiming the US seeks to destroy “social cohesion.” In reality, the blackout has only deepened the public’s resentment and sense of isolation. The Iranian government is bracing for a strike that will turn the lights back on, exposing the regime’s actions to the world in high-definition and providing protesters with the tools to organize a final push toward Tehran.
The arrival of the USS Abraham Lincoln brings with it electronic warfare capabilities that can jam government signals while broadcasting to the public. Washington’s “massive fleet” is not just about bombs; it’s about breaking the regime’s monopoly on truth. The Iranian government is bracing for a strike that will make their digital iron curtain irrelevant, proving that in the 21st century, no government can hide a massacre forever.
